Portland Trail Blazers beat writer Mike Richman was listed among 11 Oregonian staffers to be let go on Wednesday. The report, provided by Nigel Jaquiss of the Willamette Week, cites multiple sources confirming those included in this round of layoffs:
[…] Samantha Bakall, Molly Blue, Allan Brettman, Jessica Floum, Susan Green, Anna Marum, Lynne Palombo, Mike Richman, Lynne Terry and Jerry Ulmer.
Richman started his career with The Oregonian as an editorial intern in 2010 upon finishing his schooling at Lewis and Clark College. In tandem with longtime beat writer Joe Freeman in recent years, Richman brought us a steady stream of quality Trail Blazers content.
Freeman expressed his dismay on social media, following the internal memo.
Sunday: Emergency surgery, appendix removed. Wednesday: Layoffs at work. Brutal week. Condolences to colleagues losing their jobs today. This is tough industry that is only getting tougher.
— Joe Freeman (@BlazerFreeman) January 31, 2018
Richman will be missed by his colleagues on the beat, the players, the Trail Blazers’ staff, and his devoted readership. An archive of his work can be found here.
Best of luck, Mike. I will miss seeing you around the practice facility.